Equipment
Introduction "They say that an armed society is a polite society, and China is a very polite society." ~Lord Captain Walter Blackthorne, "On the Peoples of the Orient" Equipment Bonuses:'' Most equipment offers bonuses to certain skills under certain conditions; a sword offers +1 bonus to Offense and +2 to Damage. These bonuses are ''always added to successes on the roll, not to number of coins rolled. This is primarily to cut down on amount of rolling and speed up gameplay. When attacking with a sword, a character would roll Melee; if they got four successes, the value of that attack would be 5 to hit and 6 damage if the attack lands. Starting Equipment: At the start of the game, characters have up to eight Resources to spend on gear. Unless otherwise noted, any piece of equipment costs one Resource. A dagger costs a resource, and so does a rifle, and so does a truck. Resources, obviously, have nothing to do with the material wealth of a character, which is left an abstract quality rather than a game mechanic. Starting Equipment and Skills: 'The various technological skills (Craftsmanship, Engineering, and so on) allow heroes to make their own equipment. When making a character, any of your starting equipment that you have the necessary skill to create costs ''half ''the normal number of Resource points. Creation is governed by six skills, detailed below: ''Craftsmanship: The manufacture of weapons, armor, and other simple items. Primarily refers to metalworking, but also includes leatherworking, sewing, carpentry, and general handiness. Used for creating Melee weapons, armor, and any durable goods that were available before the 16th century. Gadgetry: ''The manufacture of small high-tech items. Used to create ranged weapons, tools, and electrical devices. ''Engineering: The manufacture of complex machinery with moving parts. Used for creating vehicles, large machines, and anything that has an engine. Alchemistry: The manufacture of chemical compounds – explosives, incendiaries, adhesives, and so on. Used for making explosives, ammunition, and certain advanced tools. Medicine: The manufacture of pharmaceuticals. Used to create performance-enhancing drugs. ''Toxicology: ''The manufacture of poisons. Used to create, well, poisons. '''Buying Equipment in Game:'' In order to buy a piece of desired equipment, one must first find someone selling it; one cannot usually just nip down to the local Power Armor Store. Roll a Streetwise check; if your results equal or exceed the difficulty of the item (ie, four successes for a suit of power armor), they know of a local seller for what they need. If they don't, they may be able to sell or trade their current equipment. The buy equipment, one must have a number of spare Resource points available to meet the cost. If they do not, they'll have to sacrifice some of their own equipment to make up the difference (“I'll trade you this sword for that horse”). ''Haggling: ''If you wish to negotiate for the sale price of of a piece of equipment, roll a Persuasion check. If you get more successes than the difficulty of the item, you pay the normal price. If you fail, the vendor will jack up the price, and charge you double. If you get a critical success, you barter down the price, and only pay half. At the narrator's discretion, some seller's may request a favor in lieu of payment, leading it's own adventure. An unscrupulous pharmacist might give the heroes a stash of deadly poison for free, on the condition that they use some of it on one of his rivals. '''Making Equipment in Game:'' When a character has downtime, they are able to making a crafting check to build a new piece of custom equipment. Since this is an unnopposed roll, the difficulties are as follows: Critical Failure: ''If the crafter gets two or fewer successes, they suffer a critical failure. Not only do they not make the thing they wanted, but they suffer a laboratory accident in the process. They either lose a piece of gear or suffer and injury as the Narrator sees fit. ''Partial Failure: ''if the crafter gets three or four successes, the result is consider a partial failure. They make the thing they want, but they'll have to pay a price. This might mean they have to sacrifice an existing piece of equipment for spare parts, they suffer an injury, or the thing they make is of limited supply or durability, and can only be used for one scene. ''Success: ''If the crafter gets five or more successes, they successfully add whatever it is they're trying to create to their inventory. ''Critical Success: ''If the crafter gets eight or more successes, the results are beyond their imagining. The item either gets a free enhancement, or they're able to make a second crafting check to make another item out of the leftovers from their first project. '''Adjusting Difficulty: '''In some cases, the narrator may increase or decrease the difficulty of the craft rolls. Having access to a high-quality workshop might increase the number of successes, while having to rush a project overnight might decrease the number of successes. When crafting multiple items, each extra project subtracts one success from the overall roll. '''Crafting Enhanced Items: '''Item enhancements are typically rolled seperately from a creation check. Thus, to make a suit of power armor, the crafter would first make a Craftsmanship check to make the armor itself, and then an Engineering check to install the mechanical augmentations. ''Sidebar: Resources and Wealth As you may have noticed, Resource costs herein don't exactly scale to real-world values of an object; a horse costs substantially more than a sword, but both are listed as costing one point of Resources. Resource exists primarily as a balance factor for equipment rather than as a representation of in-game wealth. Indeed, you may be playing as a wealthy Section One: Weaponry Overview Weapons are really important in Silk, Steam, and Steel. This is a steampunk-wuxia RPG, and elaborate weaponry is the intersection of those two genres. Weapons have been broken down into four categories, corresponding to the four main weapon skills: Hand to Hand, Melee, Sharpshooting, and Explosives. Generally, as one climbs up that ladder of weapons, they become less versatile and more devestating. That said, they share the same basic sets of attributes, explained below: ''Precision: ''Rated from 0 to +3, a weapon's offense rating is added to the number of successes scored when making an attack roll. Weapons that are fast and easy to maneuver - light pistols, daggers, straightswords - are considered high precision. ''Power: ''Power represents the destructive capacity of the weapon. After an attack has landed, Power is added to the attack roll to determine the extent of the wound dealt. The full rules on damage and injury are covered in Mechanics. Weapons that hit hard - such as axes, shotguns, and grenades - are considered high power. ''Control: ''Whereas Precision and Power both represent a weapon's ability to make direct attacks, control measures it's ability to do other things. Control is added to your defense rolls when using Hand to Hand or Melee to parry an attack, as well as when attempting any sort of grappling maneuver - disarming, pinning, and so on. Hook swords, sai, and grapplng martial arts are all considered high control. Ranged weapons do not have a Control rating. ''Range: ''Range determines the maximum distance that a weapon is considered effective at. As the name indicates, Range is only a variable for ranged weaponry. The Ranges are as follows: ''0: Close: ''Short-ranged weapons are barely more than long melee weapons, with maximum ranges of a few feet. If you're in range to use a short-ranged weapon, your opponent is only a step away from attacking you with their barehands 1: ''Medium: At medium range, the target is in clear sight and within shouting distance. The target is not within striking range, but could easily get there with an Athletics check. This is the range of most pistols, bows, and weapons used in street fights. 2: Long: ''At long range, the target is visible but only barely. Most long range weapons include some sort of sighting apparatus. ''Other Factors: ''Other factors include whether the weapon is small enough to be concealed, whether or not it makes large amounts of noise (such as guns and grenades), and any special inherent properties in might have (such a the blinding effect of a flashbang). 'Section Two: Boxing Styles''' Though not technically weapons, systems of unarmed combat (hereto referred to as Boxing Styles) are mechanically similar to weapons, and thus are listed in this chapter. Learning a Boxing Style costs one point of Resources, and a character can learn as many styles as they can afford. If a character learns multiple styles, they cannot mix and match the benefits, but must instead switch between styles each round (usually accompanied by a flourish of stylish movements). Thus, a character trained in Taijiquan and Shaolin Fist could not use their Shaolin to attack and Taiji to defend in the same round. The term “Boxing” is an English translation of the Chinese ''Quanfa, ''literally “fist method.” While the name suggests a system of punching, the term refers to any system of unarmed combat; Chinese boxing styles famously incorporate kicks, strikes with the knees and elbows, joint locks, grappling maneuvers, and so on. When creating a Boxing style, there are three attributes: Offense, Defense, Damage. A style has three points to put into those attributes, with no more than 3 and no less than 0. Lastly, all Boxing styles fall into one of three Types. '''Offense Rating: This is the level of offensive accuracy of a style, and this number of Successes is added to your Attack rolls when attacking with Hand to Hand. Wing Chun, with it's rapid fire punches, is an example of a high attack style. '''Defense Rating:' ''This is the level of parrying and defensive ability of a style, and this number of successes is added to your Parry rolls when defending with Hand to Hand. Taijiquan, with it's famous ability to redirect a foe's energy, is an example of a high defense style. '''Damage Rating:' ''This is the destructive power of the style, and this number of successes is added to your Damage rolls when you land an attack with Hand to Hand. Pigua Quan, with it's sweeping overhand strikes, is an example of a high damage style. '''Type:' ''In addition to their core attributes, boxing styles are categorized into three ''types, each of which has advantage over one and disadvantage under another. They are: Finesse: ''Finesse styles rely on quick and complex movements, attacking with swarms of punches or complex trapping maneuvers. Finesse styles are have Advantage on Control styles, which they easily overwhelm, but Disadvantage on Power styles, who withstand their barrages to deliver a decisive blow. Examples include Snake Fist, Wing Chun, and Escrima. ''Power: ''Power styles are about taking small hits to deliver big hits. Power styles have advantage over Finesse styles, who walk straight into their power shots, but have Disadvantage against Control styles, who turn their own energies against them. Examples include Shaolin Fist, Bajiquan, and Muay Thai. ''Control: Control styles are about evasion, grappling, and counter-attacking. Control styles have advantage on Power Styles, who open themselves up to big counter attacks, but have Disadvantage against Finesse styles, who leave few openings. Examples include Taijiquan, Qin Na, and Jujutsu. Untrained Boxing:'' A character can still make Hand to Hand attacks if they don't know any Boxing Styles; in which case, they get no bonuses to Offense, Defense, or Damage, and are considered to be at Disadvantage against any Type of boxing. Common Boxing Styles The above table is only a list of examples, and is by no means binding. If a character wants to practice a certain style of martial arts, but has a different mechanical needs, then they are free to modify them. Perhaps you study the more aggressive Chen style of Taijiquan instead of the softer Yang style, and invest more of your points in Offense and Damage and fewer in Defense. Likewise, they may change out the Type based on personal preference. For example, in Western boxing, Finesse fighters are called “Swarmers”, power fighters are called “Sluggers,” and Control fighters are called “Outboxers.” ''Sidebar: Names Translating names of Chinese Quanfa ''styles into English is a bit of a mess. Some are best known by their Chinese name even in English, such as Bajiquan. Others, are better known by English translations, such as Drunken Boxing. Still ''others ''are better known by their Cantonese name, such as Wing Chun. Erring on the side of clarity over uniformity, we've decided to simply put whichever name is most well-known in English speaking countries. Popular Style descriptions: '''Shaolin Fist:' The legendary fighting style of the Shaolin Temple is composed of vigorous physical conditioning routines that perfectly balance offense, defense, and power. Bajiquan: Bajiquan (“Eight Extremities Fist”) is a tough Northern martial art tradition known for it's hard-hitting punches and elbows and solid defensive structures. Long Fist: The quintessential Northern Style, Changquan ''emphasizes long stances and acrobatic kicking maneuvers. '''Wing Chun:' a popular Southern boxing style, Wing Chun (“Singing Springtime”) relies on hand trapping and rapid fire punches. Drunken Boxing: Drunken Boxing, or zuiquan, ''is a flamboyant style that mimics the movements of a staggering drunk, sometimes while also actually being one. '''Praying Mantis:' Praying Mantis boxing, or tanglangquan, ''mimics the movements of a praying mantis. It is known for it's hand trapping and joint locking techniques. '''Snake Fist:' Another popular animal style, Hequan ''emphasizes precise striking of pressure points with the tips of the fingers. '''Taijiquan:' Known to westerners as Tai Chi, Taijiquan (“Grand Ultimate Fist”) is based around esoteric Daoist principles to harmonize with their opponent's energy. It is the quintessential defensive martial art. Qin Na: The art of Qin Na, ''“locking and siezing,” refers to the practice of joint-manipulation based grappling maneuvers. '''Shuai Jiao:' Shuai Jiao is Chinese folk wrestling; similar to Judo and Mongolian wrestling, Shuai Jiao emphasizes hip throws, foot sweeps, and pickups that can crush a man as easily as any punch or kick 'Section Three: Melee Weaponry' Melee Weaponry is at the heart of Wuxia. Even in the steampunk era of S3, swords and chains are still just as popular of weapons as guns and bombs. Designing a Melee weapon is much the same as a Boxing Style. Melee weapons have a Type and three attributes: Offense, Defense, Damage. Melee weapons, being more dangerous than boxing styles, have four points to spend between these attributes, with the maximum value of any attribute being +3. For game purposes, paired and combination weapons are considered a single piece of equipment. Thus, a straightsword is a melee weapon, but so is a pair of twin hook swords or a rapier and dagger. Similarly, there is no distinction between one- and two-handed weapons. In practice, most weapons are are going to involve a mixture of single and double handed maneuvers. Offense:'' This is the level of offensive accuracy of the weapon, and this number of successes is added to your attack rolls. Twin swords would be a traditional high-offense weapon. '''Defense:' ''This is the level of parrying and defensive accuracy of the weapon, and this number of successes is added to your Parry rolls.Sai and Tonfa would be traditional high-defense weapons. '''Damage:' ''This is the destructive power of the weapon, and this number of successes is added to your damage rolls. Glaives and two-handed swords would be traditonal high-damage weapons. '''Type:' ''Like with Boxing Styles, weapons are broken into three types: Finesse, Power, and Control. ''Finesse: ''Finesse weapons rely on speed, reach, and precise striking. They easily slide through the defenses of Control weapons, but struggle with parrying the heavy blows of Power weapons. Daggers, spears, and swords are examples of Finesse weapons. ''Power: ''Power weapons tend to be slower moving, but delivering heavy and crushing blows. They overpower the defenses of Finesse weapons, but leave themselves open for the sneaky maneuvers of Control weapons. Maces, axes, and sabers are examples of Power weapons. ''Control: ''Control weapons tend to be more exotic, with hooks and spikes to catch and bind their opponent's weapon. They can easily control slow-moving power weapons, but have difficulty catching the faster-moving Finesse weapons. Hook swords, sai, and halberds are examples of control weapons. '''Concealment:' ''This measures whether or not the weapon can be easily concealed in your clothing without being seen. Generally speaking, weapons that are no larger than your forearm are considered concealable. A weapon being concealable is uses one of the points that would otherwise go into it's core attributes. '''Improvised Weapons:' ''When wielding an object as an improvised (such as chair or table), the wielder has no bonus to Offense, Defense, or Damage, and is always at Disadvantage. Table of Common Melee Weapons '''Dagger: '''This refers to all manner of knives, daggers, and small edged weapons, ranging from kitchen tools to short swords. '''Butterfly Knife: '''These are short machetes, often used in pairs. In the hands of an expert, they can wreak incredible damage. Cleavers would also fall under this category. '''Straightsword (Jian):' Considered to be an elegant and gentlemanly weapon, the straightsword is popular amongst duelists and scholars. Concealed and collapsing straightswords are common among discreet fighters, and paired straightswords that share a single sheath are also fairly common. Saber (Dao): Also known as the broadsword or cutlass, the saber encompasses a whole family of one-handed chopping swords. There are many regional varieties of the saber, with some being almost straight and others have severe curves. Like the straightsword, it is not uncommon to have a matching pair of sabers which are carried in a single sheath. Long Sword (Chang Jian): '''Two-handed straightswords slightly longer blades and substantially longer hilts than one-handed straightswords, allowing them to be used with both hands for stronger and faster cuts. '''Great Saber(Da Dao): These sabers have longer handles and substantially longer or heavier blades, allowing them to strike with devastating power. Like their one-handed counterpart, great sabers come in a number of varieties, including the shorter, thicker Grass Sabers and the long-bladed Horse Cutting Sabers. Deerhorn Knives (Lujiao Dao): 'Deerhorn knives consist of overlapping pairs of crescent-shaped blades, used for binding and trapping opponent's weapons. They are almost always used in pairs. '''Hook Sword (Hu Tou Gou): '''Also known as the Tiger-Head hook, this is a weapon made popular by flashy martial artists. Consisting of a hooked blade and a multi-bladed crossguard, hook swords seem counter-intuitive, but are deadly in the hands of one who knows how to use them. These weapons are almost always used in pairs. '''Spear (Qiang): '''Spears fell out of popularity until the rise of collapsing melee weaponry. Telescoping spears are popular both among the military and civilians. '''Hatchet (Fu): '''Hatchets are a popular tool-turned melee weapon, particularly among street thugs and poorer gangsters. '''Glaive (Pudao): '''More unwieldy and old-fashioned than the spears, glaives with telescoping hafts have made something of a resurgence in recent years among triads and gangsters looking to make a big impression. '''Rod (Bian): ' Sword-length fighting rods are a common weapon. Typically constructed of heavy iron with ridged edges, they can crush as man as easily as a sword can cut him. They're particularly popular with crafty inventors, and collapsing rods, rods that break apart into chain whips, and electrified rods are all popular options. '''Tonfa: '''Popular in the fighting arts of the Ryuku Islands, the tonfa is a side-handled baton shaped vaguely like a crutch. They offer a high degree of protection, and are popular among law enforcement. '''Sai: '''Another weapon from the Ryukyu Islands, the sai is an iron truncheon with forks on either side to catch an opponents weapon. They typically are used in pairs, and are meant to restrain and disarm without killing. '''Kama: The Japanese sickle is a popular weapon that has made it's way to China. Quick and light, they make deadly precise weapons. Nunchaku (Shuang Jie Gun): '''A weapon imported from the Ryukyu island, the nunchaku has recently shown up as a popular weapon among street thugs in Chinese coast cities. Due to it's ease of concealment when out of use and flashiness when in use, it's become particularly popular among youth gangs. '''Hammer (Chui): '''This refers to everything from warhammers to construction tools re-purposed for combat. Like axes, they are powerful but inelegant. '''Staff (Gun): Like the spear, staves are most commonly seen in collapsing and telescoping varieties. Three Section Staff (San Jie Gun): A popular weapon for it's flashiness and versatility. The three section staff can be used as a flail, a whip, or set of conjoined fighting rods. Though they lack power, they inspire a certain amount of awe in skilled hands. Chain whip (Ju Jie Bian): 'Consisting of a series of iron bars conjoined by chain links, chain whips are highly concealable weapons capable of keeping many foes at bay at once. As such, they are popular hold-out weapons in the ''jianghu. '''Rope Dart (Fei Tou): A longer and more flexible version of the chain whip, the rope dart is favored for it's extreme ease of concealment and long reach. Consisting of either a weight or small blade on the end of a long rope, the Rope Dart gives the reach of a spear while still being easily concealed. Chain (Gusari): 'A popular weapon among rogues in Japan, the Gusari is a weighted chain, occasionally with a sickle on one end. They are used for binding as much as for striking, and they've become popular in China as well. '''Meteor Hammer: '''The meteor hammer is the big brother of the Rope Dart, consisting of a chain with a large weight on one or both ends. Like the rope dart, it may be used for binding and grappling maneuvers. 'Section Four: Sharpshooting Weapons Sharpshooting weapons cover everything from throwing knives and crossbows to pistol and machine guns. Rockets, grenades, and flamethrowers are covered by this category, instead falling into Explosive Weapons below. When creating a custom ranged weapon, there are four factors: Offense, Damage, Range, and Type. Mechanical: ''Mechanical weapons fire via springs, compressed air, or other mechanical forces. They are less powerful than ballistic weapons, but are silent, allowing the wielder to fire without giving away his position. ''Ballistic: ''Ballistic weapons, conversely, fire projectiles via chemical explosions. They are more powerful, but extremely loud and prone to produce flashes of light and plumes of smoke. Anyone attempting to hide or take cover while using a a Ballistic weapon immediately gives away their presence. '''Offense': The ease of aiming and firing a weapon. Offense is added to the number of successes to hit a target. Pistols tend to be high offense weapons. Damage: How powerful the weapon is. Damage is added to the number of successes to injure a target. Shotguns and muskets tend to be high damage weapons. Range: '''A weapon's range is broken into several broad categories, below. They range from 0 to 3, and correspond to the same distance measures used in chase scenes. ''0: Close: ''Short-ranged weapons are barely more than long melee weapons, with maximum ranges of a few feet. If you're in range to use a short-ranged weapon, your opponent is only a step away from attacking you with their barehands. 1: ''Medium: At medium range, the target is in clear sight and within shouting distance. The target is not within striking range, but could easily get there with an Athletics check. This is the range of most pistols, bows, and weapons used in street fights. 2: Long: ''At long range, the target is visible but only barely. Most long range weapons include some sort of sighting apparatus. '''Other Factors: '''Like melee weapons, a ranged weapon can spend a point to be concealable. Additionally, a second point can be spent to make the weapon silent. '''Cost: '''Ranged weapons cost a point of Resources. This includes ammunition, and in the case of throwing weapons, as many knives or shuriken as the wielder might need. '''Creation: '''Guns, crossbows, and mechanical ranged weapons are created via the Engineering skill; Bows and throwing weapons are created via the Craftsmanship skill. A character cannot create a weapon with any Rating higher than his Engineering/Craftsmanship rank (thus, to create a gun that had a Damage rating of 3, he would need at least Engineering Rank 3). Sidebar: ''Dual Wielding Pistols Wielding a pistol in each hand is a hallmark of a good gunslinger, and we don't want to discourage this. Like with meleee weapons, wielding a pair of pistols is a purely aesthetic choice. Common Ranged Weapons Throwing Knives: '''A classic holdout weapon, throwing knives strike a balance between damage and accuracy. '''Shuriken: '''Imported from Japan, Shuriken are tiny, accurate throwing blades. '''Dart Launchers: Dart launchers fire steel darts, often launched via pneumatics or other mechancial rather than chemical means, allowing them to be fired silently. They are frequently mounted on the wrists or hidden in the sleeves. Dart launchers are frequently loaded with with Injector Rounds, and are one of the most popular means of delivering poisons. Light Pistol: This is a catch all for small, low-recoil pistols and revolvers. They don't pack much of a punch, but are easy to aim and fire continuously. Heavy Pistol: Moving up the line, heavy pistols fire larger bullets and pack more of a kick. Hand Cannon: At the top of the “Imposing Handgun” hierarchy are Hand Cannons, smoothbore pistols that are as inaccurate as they are deadly. Hand Cannons are often shotguns, firing clouds of projectiles instead of single bullets. Bow: Though something of antiquity, the compound bow is still favored among Mongolian and Manchu Bannermen, who hold a long history of archery. Like the crossbow, contemporary compound bows can make use of a great number of specialty arrows. Crossbow: Crossbows have been part of Chinese warfare for thousands of years, and their technology has only improved with time. Modern crossbows are often repeaters, capable of semiautomatic or even automatic fire. Carbine: '''A carbine is shortened rifle developed for cavalry. It's shorter barrel lessens it's range, but makes it easier to use in a fight. '''Shotgun: '''Increasingly popular in gang warfare and street fights, Shotguns fire clouds of projectiles from large smoothbore barrels, trading range for damage and ease of use. '''Combat Rifle: A long-barreled firearm, intending for precision and accuracy at a distance. Some rifles use internal magazines to store ammunition, while others have rotating chambers that align with the barrels. Sniper Rifle:'' ''Meant for dealing lethal wounds at extreme distances, sniper rifles are usually outfitted with complex sets of lenses and scopes for sighting their targets. Cannon: 'More at home on tanks than in a person's hands, this refers to the very largest and most difficult to use of personal firearms. 'Section Fives: Explosives Explosives are both and art and a science. Namely, setting them off is an art and making them is a science. When designing an Explosive Weapon, a character has six points to spend amongst Offense, Damage, Range, and Other Factors. Explosives tend to be the most deadly of weapons, but they also tend to be the most conspicuous. They also tend to pose a higher risk to to their weilder; at the Narrator's discretion, being able to differentiate between friends, foe, and self may not be an option when setting off bombs indoors. Offense: The ease of aiming and firing a weapon. Offense is added to the number of successes to hit a target. Pistols tend to be high offense weapons. Damage: How powerful the weapon is. Damage is added to the number of successes to injure a target. Shotguns and muskets tend to be high damage weapons. Range: '''A weapon's range is broken into several broad categories, below. They range from 0 to 2, and correspond to the same distance measures used in chase scenes. ''0: Close: ''Short-ranged weapons are barely more than long melee weapons, with maximum ranges of a few feet. If you're in range to use a short-ranged weapon, your opponent is only a step away from attacking you with their barehands. 1: ''Medium: ''At medium range, the target is in clear sight and within shouting distance. The target is not within striking range, but could easily get there with an Athletics check. This is the range of most pistols, bows, and weapons used in street fights. ''2: Long: ''At long range, the target is visible but only barely. Most long range weapons include some sort of sighting apparatus. '''Other Factors: Explosives are a varied lot. The following are other factors that can be added onto a weapon; each of them counts as one point away from Offense, Damage, and Range. Concealable: ''Whether or not the item can be hidden on one's person. Hand grenades, sticky bombs, and most explosives you can reasonably expect to see in a street fight are concealable. ''Silent: ''Most explosives are distincively not-silent, with the exception of poison gas grenades. Indeed, targets who suffer a heavy wound from grenades are deafened for one round as well as their normal injuries. ''Area: Area weapons are capable of striking multiple foes at once; for every secondary foe, the attack reduces his total successes by 1. When multiple persons are in close-quarters combat, the penalty is applied for each secondary target you're trying to avoid. Special Damage: ''Certain explosives have special damage types, as well. Flamethrowers, for example, inflict fire damage (bypassing normal armor and setting targets on fire), and flashbangs blind and deafen foes. These special damage types also cost one point. ''Sidebar: Area Attacks Most explosives are capable of Area Attacks, hitting multiple opponents in one bomb blast. When throwing a grenade at multiple opponents, subtract coins from your Explosives check equal to the number of targets you are hitting. Thus, attacking two targets would impose a -2 penalty, three targets a -3, and so on. This applies to both the attack and damage roll. Sticky Mine: ''Often used for blowing up tanks or setting traps, these mines have magnets or glue on side to adhere to targets. A shaped charge then blows a hole in whatever they're stuck to, dealing horrible wounds. ''Hand Grenade: ''One of the most common types of explosives, hand grenades are an ideal weapon for doing lots of damage to lots of targets. ''Concussion:' '''A concussion grenade releases a potent shockwave, but no shrapnel, battering foes without killing. They are functionally similarly to hand grenades, but deal nonlethal damage ''Flashbang: Flashbangs briefly blind and deafen groups of foes. When they succeed on damaging a foe, instead of inflicting normal wounds or injuries, everyone affected by them is blinded and deafened, greatly limiting their capacity to act. Gas Grenades: ''Chlorine and mustard gas grenades are not nearly so immediately devastating as hand grenades, but they have quite a few nice side effects. They're silent, they bypass normal armor, and they leave a cloud that lingers. Anyone trapped within said cloud (say, if they are pinned, or trapped in a close room when the grenade goes off) suffers an additional Light Wound each round at the end of their action. ''Incendiary Grenades: These grenades are filled with a highly flammable phosphorous gas. Anyone damaged by them is lit on fire, taking a light wound at the end of each of their rounds until extinguished. Because they deal damage through heat, instead of kinetic energy, they bypass most normal armor. Incendiary grenades don't deafen foes like normal bombs, but they do blind them for a round. Grenade Launcher: ''Firing grenades from pneumatic tubes, grenade launchers sacrifice concealment for accuracy. ''Rocket Launcher: ''Though they fire smaller payloads than grenade launchers, rockets are able to fire at extremely long ranges. ''Flamethrower: A flamethrower fires a jet of burning gas or liquid, capable of setting a hole room ablaze. Because they deal damage based on heat rather than kinetic energy, they bypass most types of armor. Anyone struck by a flamethrower is lit on fire, and takes a light wound at the end of each their actions unless extinguished. Like grenades, flamethrowers are capable of hitting multiple opponents with an area attack. Most flamethrowers are rifle-like contraptions with fuel tanks under their barrel or strapped to the back of the user, though the “dual wrist-mounted flamethrower” is rapidly growing in popularity. 'Section Six: Weapon Enhancements' Sometimes, stabbing someone isn't enough; sometimes, you have to stab them on fire. Given the prevalence of both violence and technology in China, there is no short of mad and ingenious ways that heroes have sought to combine them. Unless otherwise noted, Enhancements can be applied to any type of weapon; enhancements might reflect experimental explosives, specialty ammunition for firearms, modifications to swords and spears or high-tech gloves worn for unarmed combat. Unless otherwise noted, each Enhancement costs one Resource. By default, applying an Enhancement to a weapon uses the same skill as creating the weapon (Craftsmanship for Melee weapons, Gadgetry for firearms, etc.), but it may be otherwise depending on the in-fiction explanation for the Enhancement. For example, a sword that is deals extra damage because of it's finely honed blade might be made with Craftsmanship, and one that does so because it is actually a chainsaw would be made with Gadgetry. Ingenious (Melee and Hand to Hand only) This weapon has some sort of mechanism or clever design to better bind and parry. This might be as simple as a complex basket hilt, or as ornate as a magnetic blade that grips onto an opponent's weapon. Ingenious weapons gain a +1 bonus to their Control rating. Tailored This weapon has been customized to the preference of a single user. Tailored weapons gain a +1 bonus to Attack rolls, but only when used by the person who it was tailored for. Destructive The weapon has been mechanically augmented designed to deal vicious wounds; a gun may fire exploding bullets, a sword may have whirling chainsaw-like blades, a grenade may be filled with shrapnel, and so on. A destructive weapon gains an extra +1 to damage. Disguised Similar to collapsing weapons, these items hide in plain sight by disguising themselves as everyday object. A straightsword might be hidden in a parasol, or a set of prayer beads might each secretly be tiny grenades. Only under close examination is their true nature revealed. Collapsing These weapons having spring-loaded telescoping shafts, or otherwise fold down into a smaller size. Any non-concealable weapon can be made concealable by adding this modification. Multiple Forms Multi-weapons can be configured into multiple forms or means of attacking. Examples include rods that break apart into chain whips, swords with built in pistols, and polearms with a blade at one head and a mace at the other. The wielder of a multi-weapon may change the form of their weapon whenever they make an attack. A weapon can have more than two forms, so long as the mechanics of it can be justified; an outlaw may wield a staff that breaks into a three section staff, which in turn breaks into a nine-section whip, and so on and so forth. Each weapon has it's own separate Offense, Defense, and Damage rating, and it's own Weapon Type. Weapons can be of different types; one might build a pistol or flamethrower into their sword. This also covers weapons that have multiple applications, such as knife that is constructed for both throwing and close-quarters combat. The cost of a multi-weapon is the sum of all of it's component weapons; thus, a staff that can configures into three different forms costs three points of Resource. Most collapsible weapons are multi-weapons, even if by accident; a staff that collapses down to two feet long can be used as a light truncheon while collapsed. Any other Augmentations applied to a Multi-weapon effect all forms of it; an electrified sword breaks apart into an electrified whip, and so on. Automatic (ranged only) This upgrade can only be applied to ranged weapons. The weapon can fire at high speeds, unleashing hails of bullets, arrows, or chakrams. Automatic weapons can make Area Attacks, like explosives. Scoped (Ranged Only) This upgrade can only be applied to ranged weapons. These weapons have complex sights that allow the user to take aim at a distance; so long as the user doesn't have to move that round, they can add their Range bonus instead in addition Offense bonus when making attack rolls. Piercing Piercing weapons are designed to penetrate or burn through armor. They may be as simple as high-density bullets, or as elaborate as swords with superheated tungsten blades that melt through armor. Regardless of how they are constructed, they ignore a foe's armor bonus when attacking. Shocking These weapons surge with electricity, disrupting a foes internal energy on every blow. Foes struck when an electrical weapon lose a point of Breath. As an injury condition, Shocking weapons can Numb an opponent in lieu of dealing normal damage, preventing them from spending Breath for the rest of the scene. Burning Incendiary weapons ignite in spectacular bursts of flame. Swords have hidden reserves of fuel in their pommels, bullets ignite in contact with the air, and grenades explode in balls of fire instead of shrapnel. Incendiary weapons light their foes on fire, dealing an extra wound each round until extinguished. Bloody (lethal weapons only) This weapon deals terrible, rending wounds.;Barbed spears, flachette pistols, shrapnel grenades, and so on. Whenever used on an unarmored opponent, wounds left by Bloody weapons are increased by 1; ie, Light Wounds decrease Fortitude by 2, and Heavy Wounds decrease Fortitude by 2. 'Section Seven: Attire and Armor' In S3, the clothing you wear serves two principle functions: protecting you from danger, and showing off your swagger. In age dominated by firearms, chemical weapons, and covert assassinations, armor is not terribly common in the Two Kingdoms. That said, armor has evolved along with weaponry, and most forms are composites of high strength steel alloys and chemically treated antiballistic silk. Such armor is heavy and restrictive of mobility, but offers protection against blades and bullets. The most common type of armor is ''brigandine, ''wherein metal plates are sandwiched between layers of cloth. Brigandine vests and coats offer protection while staying covert and low-profile. Others may choose showier forms of armor, with interlaced steel plates gleaming on top of silk backings, but the basic construction and materials remains the same. Fashion in the Two Kingdoms flucuates wildly. In the state of Qing, Manchurian styls with knotted clasps and long gowns dominate, and many men shave the front of their head while braiding the rear. In Ming, traditional Chinese sensibilities with robes and fold-over jackets remain the fashion paradigm, and men tend to wear their hair bound and uncut. Bright dyes and lavish embroideries are common ways to display wealth and social status. High officials are marked by wearing layered robes and complex hats that shows their station. As the world interconnects, foreign clothing becomes more popular in China, and Japanese style kimono or Western style tailcoats are not uncommon amongst the worldy and well to do. The main downside of wearing armor and fancy clothing is that it hinders the ability to move. As such, when wearing armor or formal attire, there is a movement penalty associated with it's rating. '''Armor Rating: This is the amount damage the armor prevents. For every point, subtract one success from every damage roll made against the wearer. Weapons that are energy-based (such as flamethrowers and lightning bolts) or biological in nature (such as poisons) bypass this defense. Armor has a movement penalty equal to it's armor rating '''Formal Attire Rating: '''This is overall level of oppulence and design of your clothing. For every point, add one success to Charm rolls. Like with armor, Formal Attire produces a movement penalty equal to it's Attire rating. '''Movement Penalty:' ''Armor and oppulent clothing have a drawback – it makes it harder to move. The rating of the armor is substracted from successes on Stealth, Sleight of Hand, Acrobatics, and Athletics rolls. Most of those in the ''jianghu ''eschew armor, considering it unnecessarily cumbersome and expensive, slowing them down more than it protects. That said, the minority of underworld fighters who do wear body armor tend to be very, very into it, usually wearing home-made suits of customized battle gear with all sorts of little augmentations and upgrades. Like most equipment, armor and attire is rated from 1 to 3, with it's movement penalty being equal to it's defense rating. '''Light:' ''Light armor usually consists of a brigandine vest, along with sturdy boots, bracers, and goggles. Light armor can be worn without drawing much attention to oneself. Light armor has a Defense rating and movement penalty of 1, and can be hidden under normal clothing if you so choose. '''Medium Armor: '''Medium armor typically involves a full coat of brigandine that protects the body and limbs, along with some kind of head and eye protection. Medium armor has a defense rating and movement penalty of 2, and though it cannot be hidden under clothing, it can be disguised as a piece of outerwear. '''Heavy Armor: '''Heavy armor involves military-style full suits of layered silk and steel plates, covering most of the wearer's body. It has a defense rating and movement penalty of 3, and there is no hiding the fact that it is armor. '''Attire Enhancements' Enhancements are extra effects that increase an armor sets protective value or utility. Enhancements can be added to regular unarmored clothing; a person can wear a gasmask and a fireproof uniform without any armor plating. By default, the Craftsmanship skill is used to add enhancements to armor or attire. However, certain substitions may be made depending on in-fiction justification. For example, a suit of armor that is made of special lightweight materials might get the benefits of the "Tailored" enhancement via Alchemistry instead of Craftsmanship. Extra Heavy: '''Your armor has extra thick plating. It's armor rating is increased by an additional +1 (to a maximum of 4), but it's movement penalty is also increased by an additional -1. '''Oppulent: '''Your clothing is oppulent in the extreme; it's Attire rating is increased by an additional +1 (to a maximum of 4), but it's movement penalty is also increased by an additional -1. '''Military Dress: '''Your clothing is made to protect and to impress. Your Armor rating is also considered your Attire rating, (thus heavy Dress armor would also confer a +3 bonus to Charm rolls). '''Fearsome: '''Your armor or attire is menacing to behold - perhaps it shows the scars of a thousand battles, or ranking with a dangerous organization. Your Armor or Attire rating is added to Bravado checks. '''Tailored: '''Your armor is precision fitted for ease of movement. It's movement penalty is reduced by 1 (to a minimum of 0). '''Rapid Deploy: The armor is designed for quick donning and removal; in an action sequence, it can be shed or donned as part of your normal action. Fireproof: This armor contains a full body suit of fire-resistant materials; the the wearer is immune to continuous damage from being lit on fire, and takes no damage from purely fire-based attacks such as flamethrowers and incendiary grenades. Grounded: This armor contains a series of grounding wires laced through it, creating a Faraday cage for the wearer. The wearer is immune to Breath damage from being electrocuted, and takes no damage from purely electrical attacks (such as being struck by lightning). Gasmask: A mask fitted over the face that filters out toxins or connects to an alternate air supply. It renders the wearer Immune to poison gases, including Blinding and Burning Smoke. Offensive:'' This armor is covered with exposed electrical currents, superheated plates, blades, whirling blades, or some combination thereof. Anyone who makes physical contact with the wearer (such as by grappling them or striking them unarmed) suffers a light wound. Appropriate armor or defenses (such as wearing one's own suit of armor) may nullify this effect in some cases, as per the narrator's discretion. '''Mechanical Armor: '''Mechanical power armor adds a miniature steam engine and a system of pneumatic pistons that augment the wearers strength. When wearing such armor, penalties to Athletics are ignored, and the Engineering skill can be used in it's place to run and lift. Mechanical armor enables several other Enhancements, listed below. '''Mobile Armor: ''' Your power armor has a built in set of motorskates, connected to the main drive train of it's steam engine. You are able to move at vehicular speeds, allowing you to participate in chase scenes even without a vehicle. Requires Mechanical Armor. '''Jump Jets: ' To compensate for it's own weight, your armor has a set of pneumatic pistons in it's feet and high-pressure steam jets on it's engine. They allow the wearer to make piloting checks in place of Acrobatics, with no movement penalty for armor. Requires Mechanical Armor. Dive System:'' Your armor has been adapted to function underwater, complete with underwater turbines and compressed air for the operator, turning into a tiny submarine. You may move and operate underwater, and may make piloting checks in place of Athletics for swimming with no movement penalty. Requires Mechanical Armor. '''Section Eight: Vehicles' The vehicles listed here are all personal vehicles, suited for a single pilot and perhaps a handful of passengers. Large scale vehicles – trains, ships, airships – are best considered as set pieces, rather than as equipment. Vehicles, much like weapons, have two key attributes: Speed ''and ''Handling. ''Both are added to piloting checks, under different circumstances. ''Armor ''refers to the durability of the vehicle, and is subtracted from damage to the vehicle or (if it's enclosed) to the pilot. Size refers to both how large a vehicle is and to how many passengers it can carry. ''Type ''refers to the terrain the vehicle operates on. Vehicles have two core attributes, which exist inverse to one another: ''Speed ''and ''Size. '' '''Speed:' ''Speed represents how fast and maneuverable your vehicle is. A vehicle's speed is added to the number of successes on most Engineering checks to maneuver a vehicle: to flee or give chase, to dodge obstacles, to run over targets, and so on. '''Size:' How large the vehicle is, and how many people it can carry. A vehicle adds double it's size rating is as damage when colliding with other targets, and adds double it's rating as armor from outside attacks. Size Zero: Personal vehicles include autocycles, jet skis, and fighter planes. These are the most agile and maneuverable of vehicles, and tend to be the ones that come up the most in action sequences. They can only hold the pilot. They have a speed rating of +3. Size One: Small vehicles include cars, motor boats, and bomber aircraft. They can hold up to four passengers, plus the pilot..They have a speed rating of +2. Size Two: Large vehicle include airships, yachts, and trucks. They can typically hold about a dozen passengers, plus the pilot. They have a speed rating of +1. Size Three: Massiv''e vehicles include cargo ships and trains. They can hold dozens to hundreds of passengers, and have a speed rating of +0. '''Type: Type determines how the vehicle moves, and on what terrain. A vehicles type also determines it's base speed multiplier; Land, Sea, and Air vehicles all move at 4 MPH x Engineering, or roughly twice that of a running person. Walking, Tunneling, and Underwater vehicles move at 2 MPH x Engineering, or roughly the same speed as a running person. Land: ''Land vehicles include anything that moves on land via wheels; motorbikes, cars, tanks, and trains are all land vehicles. ''Walking: ''A variant of land vehicles, walking vehicles move on legs rather than wheels. Some are humanoid in shape, and others are shaped like giant crabs or spiders. They move at half the speed of a land vehicle, but are occasionally able to move through rough terrain and turn on a dime. Giant armored spider-tanks tend to be poor choices for day to day commuting, but they make for ''excellent ''boss fights. ''Sea: ''Sea vehicles include any surface watercraft; boats, jet skis, and so on. ''Air: Flying vehicles such as ornithopters, biplanes, and jet packs. Air vehicles are difficult and expensive to create, and cost an extra point of Resources. Underwater: Submarines and other vehicles that can operate below the surface of water, though they need to resurface periodically to replenish their air supply. Personal submarines need to take on fresh air hourly; small, every six hours; large, every day; and massive, every few days. Like flying vehicles, Underwater vehicles are difficult to create, and cost an extra point of resources. ''Tunneling: ''One of the more rare and exotic vehicle types, tunneling vehicles move by burrowing through the earth. Tunneling vehicles move at a quarter of their land speed while burrowing. ''Multiple Types: ''For every additional type of movement, add one extra point of Resources. Making a an amphibious vehicle that can go on land and water would cost one extra point; making a flying submarine would cost three extra points. Vehicle Enhancements Just like weapons and armor, there are a myriad of extra features that can be added to vehicles. Unless otherwise noted, the Engineering skill is used to create and install vehicle enhancements. All vehicle enhancements cost one Resource. '''Mounted Weapons: You may wish to add rocket launchers and chain guns to your vehicle; this is encouraged. A weapon that has been mounted directly onto a vehicle benefits from increased stability, and uses the vehicle's Size rating (ranging from 0 for personal to 3 for Massive) as a bonus to attack rolls, in lieu of the weapon's normal accuracy. As such, high-power and low accuracy weapons are usually preferred. The cost of a mounted weapon on a vehicle is the same as the cost of the same weapon in non-mounted fashion. '''Armor Plating: '''Your vehicle has extra armor plating and tank-like construction. The armor value of your vehicle is doubled again, but it loses a point of speed. '''Ram: '''Your vehicle is designed to crash into other vehicles. This can be as simple as an armored prow as elaborate as a sloped front and giant lever for driving under and flipping other vehicles. The size value of your vehicle is doubled in vehicular collisions. '''Silent Engine: '''The vehicle has been outfitted with an electric motor in lieu of a steam or diesel engine, or an advanced muffler system that reduces engine. It is capable of moving quietly, without the tell tale rumble and whistle of motor vehicles. '''Booste Rockets: '''The vehicle has either booster rockets or some other means of moving above and beyond it's normal speed. It gains an additional +1 bonus to speed. '''Extra Passengers: '''Ranging from a sidecar or a second cockpit up to an extra deck on an airship, this vehicle has been constructed to hold more people. It's total passenger capacity (including the pilot) is doubled. Common Vehicles: '''Autocycles:' '' Essentially a steam-powered motorcycle, the autocycle is by far and a way the preferred means of personal transport in China. Autocycles are used by everyone from gangsters to couriers to commuters. Many variants are available, but the version presented here is the most common one. '''Cargo Truck:' ''Throughout the cities of China, three-wheeled cargo trucks can be seen delivering all manner of supplies. Nicknamed “bread trucks” for their narrow, tall profiles, trucks tend to be both slow and top-heavy. '''Tanks:' ''Heavily armored vehicles, often with treads instead of wheels. Though slow and hard to pilot, they are very, very sturdy. They are frequently adorned with weapons. '''Fighter Plane:' ''Including biplanes, monoplanes, and ornithopters, fighter aircraft are fast moving and extremely dangerous to both their enemies and their pilots. '''Airship:' ''Airships cover a huge variety of vehicles, but this entry gives you a fairly common version used for travel and commerce. Airships typically have a helium balloon to keep them aloft indefinitely. '''Submarine:' ''Submarines are large but notoriously cramped vessels that operate below the surface of the water. '''Giant Robot Spider: '''Most mad scientists have will eventually build one of these during their career. They're typically outfitted with all kind of advanced weaponry, as well as giant crushing feet. '''Section Nine: Tools' Overview: Tools are a wide-encompassing category for any piece of equipment that exists to aid in a non-combat skill check. Thus, a lockpick is a tool, but so is a smoke bomb or a set of fancy clothing. By nature, they tend to be a little bit more free-form than weapons and vehicles, but we've establsihed guidelines for what tools can do and how much they should cost. Effects of Tools: ' Tools can have two basic types of effects: they can either make a thing possible, or they make a thing easier to do. For example, a glider opens up new types of movement that are previous inaccessible (flying), whereas a grappling hook makes a previously accessible type of movement (climbing) easier to do. Tools that enhance existing abilities provide bonuses of +1 to +4 successes to a specific application of a specific skill; a smoke bomb grants a bonus to Stealth checks while disappearing from view, and binoculars grant a bonus to Awareness checks for surveying far-distant areas. A tool can fulfill multiple functions - for example, a set of binocular night-vision goggles might both allow the user to see in darkness and grant a bonus to Awareness checks for surveying distances. Tools can have ''Upsides ''and ''Downsides. These are admittedly fairly nebulous qualities, and may require some negotiation between the player and the Narrator. An Upside gives a non-numerical bonus – for example, Thermite allowing the user to sabotage equipment with the Alchemistry skill. A downside gives a non-numerical penalty – such an electric torch making it difficult to hide at night. Upsides increase the cost of a tool by half a point; downsides decrease by half a point. '''Concealment of Tools: By default, tools are concealable, unless otherwise noted. Cost of Tools: Tools cost half a point of Resource per bonus success granted. An Upside increases the tool's cost by half a point of Resource, and a Downside decreases it by half a point. Creating Tools: Most tools can be created via Creation skills (Craftsmanship, Engineering, Alchemistry, Medicine). The difficulty of creating a tool is equal to total bonuses provided by it; thus, to make a lockpick set that grants a +2 bonus, the creator must have Rank 2 Craftsmanship. Creating, rather than purchasing a tool reduces it's cost by half, just as with other equipment. Tools and Combat Skills: Combat skills have their own very elaborate set of tools: weapons, which you have been reading about for the past twenty pages. As such, the above tool rules do not apply to Combat skills. Hand to Hand is governed by Boxing Styles; Melee, Sharpshooting, and Explosives by their respective Weaponry; Fortitude by Armor; and Hunting by animal companions ( see below). Similarly, the Engineering skill has it's own set of tools – vehicles. Some weapons may incorporate a tool function intentionally – ie, a grappling hook gun used for both combat and infiltration. In such cases, the weapon cost and the tool cost are paid separately. Tools and Mystical Skills: Mystical skills cannot be affected by tools. While a shaman might carry a magic bell to summon the dead or a magic sword to conjure storms, the magic ultimately resides within them. 'Gadgets' “Gadgets” is a catch-all for tools that fill some sort of novel function, and usually involve some sort of experimental technology. Some gadgets follow the tool function of enhancing an application of a certain skill (such as lockpicks); others have purely utilitarian functions (such as cameras). Creating gadgets follows the general tool category above – select an application of a skill, pay half a point of resource per extra success that it grants. Gadgets are where new technologies (ie, inventing radio communications) are most likely to be introduced, and this should be negotiated between the player and narrator. Common Gadgets Lockpicks: Ranging from simple bits of wire to mechanical “lockpick guns” that shred the inside of a lock, these tools add their Rating to Sleight of Hand checks to open locks. Manacles: Manacles, handcuffs, and other restraining devices. They add their rating to Sleight of Hand checks to bind another person. Grappling Hook: Pneumatic grappling hooks can anchor and pull their wearer upward, along them to climb at greater speeds and cross chasms otherwise uncrossable. They add their rating to Acrobatics checks to climb. Glider: '''Ranging from giant kits to collapsing wingsuits, glider's allow the user to fly through the air. When gliding, a character can move ten feet forward for every one foot downward, and uses Acrobatics to maneuver in the air. Gliders has a base cost of one point of Resources, and can add a Rating bonus to gli '''Arm Prostheses: '''Prosthetic arms may be surgically grafted on to replace missing limbs, or may be part of exoskelatons added to extant ones. In either case, they add their Rating to Athletics checks for lifting and carrying objects. '''Leg Prostheses: '''Like arm proetheses, prosthetic legs may be replacements for or additions to a person's natural limbs. In either case, they add their rating to Athletics checks for running. '''Smoke Bombs: Smoke Bombs are a staple of thieves, spies, and assassins. When deployed, they fill a room with thick but harmless smoke, reducing visibility. They add their Rating to any Stealth checks to disappear from sight or stay hidden. Telescopic Lenses: Often built into custom goggles, gun sights, or small hand tools, these lenses make distant areas appear nearby. They add their Rating to Awareness rolls when investigating a far-distant area. Magnifying Lenses: Also often built into goggles and gadgets, these lenses add their Rating to Awareness rolls when investigating immediate surroundings. Electric Torch: Electric lights can be handheld, strapped to weapons, or worn on the head to illuminate wherever the user looks. In any case, they add their effectiveness to Awareness checks to see things in the dark. On the downside, they tend to give away a person's position when sneaking about at night. On the upside, they can be used to blind foes who's eyes have adjusted to the dark for a round; add their rating to a Gadgetry roll for blinding foes in such a fashion. Rebreather: These masks store oxygen in pressurized tanks and convert CO2 back into breathable air, greatly extending the period a person can hold their breath. They allow the wearer to hold their breath for an additional hour when swimming or exposed to poison gases. They cost one point of Resources. Camera: A basic camera is a large, bulky object that takes sepia-tone photographs and costs one point of Resources. For two points of Resources, one can acquire a spy camera that small enough to conceal on their person. Sound Recorders: There are various machines that can transcribe sound onto tapes or waxen discs to be played back later; as with cameras, most of them are quite bulky and cost one point of resources. Concealable micro-recorders are available for two points of resources. 'Clothing' The right clothing can make quite an impression; rich clothing makes for a strong first impression, and soft shoes can silence footfalls. Clothing is generally broken into apparel and footwear; the right boots can heavily effect movement skills, and the right clothes can change the way a person is perceived. As with other tools, Clothing has a rating of +1 to +4, costs half a point of Resources per bonus success granted, and applies to to a particular application of a certain skill. Common Specialty Clothing Hunting Boots: These shoes have soft soles that make no sound when moving. They add their bonus to Stealth checks for moving unheard. Camouflage: This clothing is designed for moving through shadows and blending in with environments. Add rating to Stealth checks for remaining unseen. Camouflage patterns need to matched to their environment to hold effect; forests, cities, deserts, and so on. Wetsuit: Wetsuits are designed to keep the body warm in water and make it more streamlined while swimming. They add their bonus to Athletics checks for swimming. Rich Clothing: Rich dyes, jewelry, and expensive silk brocades mark a person as part of high society. The user can add their bonus to Persuasion checks when trying to seem important. Fine Clothing: Combining immaculately tailored clothing with fine cosmetics, the right outfit can enhance one's natural beauty. The user can add their bonus to Persuasion checks when trying to charm or seduce. False Uniforms: From the military to street gangs, the right clothing helps one blend in. The user adds the uniform's rating to Deception checks when impersonating a member of an organization. Weapons and Armor: Being heavily armed makes it much easier to fright others. Take either the highest damage bonus of any of your visible weapons or the rating of your armor as a bonus to Bravado checks when intimidating someone with physical force. Section Ten: Chemicals “Chemicals” here is a catch-all for exotic substances that come out of an Alchemist's lab but don't explode, or at least don't explode as their principle function. While many of them can be used as weapons, they are defined by having specific non-combat functions. Access to a chemical costs one Resource. Invisible Ink: '''This ink turns invisible when drying, and reappears when applied to an open flame. '''Thermite: This powder burns at an extremely high temperature when lit, melting through steel. They add their Rating to sabotage equipment or pass through locks, and allows the user to use Alchemistry in place or Engineering or Sleight of Hand. Corrosives: 'There are various acids that can corrode wood, metal, and flesh. The real utility of Corrosives are their versatility – acids can be made to dissolve one substance while ignoring another. When creating a corrosive, decide on what substances it will and won't effect: wood, metal, flesh, and so on. When destroying a piece of said substance, roll Alchemistry versus Craftsmanship of the item's creator. Acid has a Burning effect on whatever subject is applied to, dealing a light wound each round until neutralized. '''Adhesives: '''Adhesives include glues and epoxies that bind objects together. Various adhesives can be used to bind foes, sticking their feet to the ground or limbs together. Characters who become stuck in such a fashion must roll Athletics vs Alchemistry to break free. '''Reverse Fire: '''Through advanced alchemical secrets, this chemical reacts with water and air in a way that drastically lowers their temperature, freezing everything it touches. Reverse Fire can be used to flash-freeze surfaces of water into ice; when doing so, they cover 1 square foot per success of an Alchemistry roll. '''Extinguisher: '''These are chemical foams that eat away at fires, neutralizing them. Anyone on fire who is affected by an extinguisher is immediately doused. 'Section Eleven: Poisons Poisons attack the internal functions of the body, causing myriad ailments and debilitating effects. When creating a poison, there are two main variables to consider: Delivery ''and ''Effect. '' '''Delivery Type: '''The way in which the poison is applied. Poisons are can be delivered by four methods, details below. ''Ingested: ''The poison is mixed into food or drink. Typically, it takes a few minutes (or about one combat round) for the poison to take effect. A Sleight of Hand check can be used to surreptitiously add poison into a person's food or drink. ''Contact: ''The poison is absorbed through the skin. Contact poisons take effect at the end of the target's next action. Contact poisons are often smeared on items as parts of traps, and certain Internal Alchemy abilities allow qi gong masters to secrete them. ''Inhaled: ''The poison are mixed into a gas or smoke and inhaled. The effects of poison gas take effect immediately, and are usually administered through a poison gas grenade delivered via an Explosives check. ''Injected: ''The poison is delivered to the blood, either through a syringe or being coated on the edge of a weapon. Poisons that are coated onto a normal weapon (such as a sword or a bullet) take effect at the end of the target's next round. Injected poisons being delivered through a syringe take effect immediately. Poison needles can be stabbed into a foe via a Hand to Hand check, and certain ranged and melee weapons can be modified to inject poison in lieu of their normal damage bonus. '''Effect:' ''Poisons are categorized by the type of effect they have on the body – blindness, continuous damage, and so on. ''Duration: ''Typically, a poison will last for one scene before running its course, or until treated. ''Treating Poison: ''There is a saying Chinese: “treat poison with poison.” When an individual has been poisoned, the effect can be cleared up with a Medicine check greater than the Creation difficulty of the Medicine. Thus, to cure a Blinding poison, a doctor would need at least four successes on a Medicine check. Unless otherwise noted, poisons will run their course and cease at the end of a scene. ''Cost: ''Access to a poison costs 1 point of Resources. Rather than keeping track of individual dosages of poison, this is considered to be a steady supply or sufficiently large cache of poison for the user's needs. Common Poisons 'Burning: 'An acidic poison courses through your veins, burning you from the inside. Each round left untreated, the target takes a light wound of damage. '''Paralyzation: '''You begin to lose control of your arms and legs. A target struck with a paralytic poison loses control one limb, as per the Injured Arm/Injured Leg condition. '''Nausea':'' You begin to experience nausea and vertigo. Even basic actions are hard to perform. The target is incapable of performing Stunts or linking Skills. '''Numbness:' Your limbs begin to tingle and lose sensation, as your internal energy meridians become blocked.'' The target cannot expend Breath, either to activate abilities or recover from injuries. '''Blindness: '''Your vision grows dim, and the world fades away. Attacks cannot be aimed, vehicles cannot be steered. Those trained in Awareness may be able to use their others senses to compensate; the exact in game effects of being blinded are up the Narrator. '''Deafness: '''Your ears begin to ring, until all you can hear is the ringing. Communication becomes difficult, and someone who has bee both blinded and deafened is extremely impeded in what they can do. Those trained in Awareness may be able to use their others senses to compensate; the exact in game effects of being deafened are up the Narrator. '''Sedative: '''Your eyes grow heavy, and strength leaves your body. When applied on a calm target - such as when slipped into food or wine - the target will fall asleep within a few minutes. When applied during combat, adrenaline will keep the target awake, but the poison saps their strength; they lose a point of Breath each round, and should their Breath fall to zero, they fall unconcious. '''Stimulant: '''You are overcome with a particular emotion – anger, fear, bliss, arousal, and so on. These drugs are often used for recreation, but may also be used to manipulate another's behavior. '''Hallucinogenic:' The world becomes surreal, and you see things which are not there. Depending on the emotional state of the target, this may lead to running from or attacking imagined monsters, or sitting happily in a state of wonder. As such, Hallucinogens are frequently combined with Emotional Stimulants to achieve a specific effect. 'Hypnotic: '''These rare and potent drugs cover the brain in a potent haze, making their victim's mind loose and suggestible. While under the influence of a hypnotic, there is no level of bullshit to incredulous to believed; a successful Deception check can convince them of nearly anything. This makes them easy to manipulate or get the truth out of. They take no physical action while hypnotized, though sudden and abrupt violence may break them out of their state. Section Twelve: Pharmaceuticals Performance Enhancing Drugs Certain pharmaceuticals enhance, rather than degrade, a person's abilities. However, these drugs also have strong side effects negative effects. When creating a performance enhancing drug, choose two attributes: it's ''Benefit ''and it's ''Drawback. ''Both of these will be chosen from a character's core attributes (Valor, Cunning, Grace, etc.). While under the effects of the drug, the ''Benefit ''attribute is increased by one point and the ''Drawback ''attribute is decreased by one point, for the duration of one scene. In the next scene, when the drug wears off, ''both attributes are decreased by one point. If the user takes the drug while in the withdrawal period, the penalties to the enhanced statistic are negated, but the penalties to the degraded statistic are cumulative. If he brings any statistics below zero, he risks overdosing, and must flip a coin. On a heads, he's fine; on a tails, he suffers a Poison effect determined by the narrator. Example: Before going into combat, a Raging Centipede injects himself with a stimulant that increases his Vigor from 2 to 3 and decreases his Wisdom from 1 to 0 – after all, he doesn't need to be able to think to fight. After the fight, both his Vigor and his Wisdom are decreased, to 1 and 0 respectively. While under the effects of the drug, he is ambushed by enemies, and injects himself again. His Vigor goes back up to 3, but his Wisdom is now -1. He flips a coin, and it comes up tails; given that it was his Wisdom he lost, the narrator decides on hallucination as the side effect. Now unable to determine what is and isn't real, his enemies close in for the kill. Section Thirteen: Animal Companions Animal companions are a very broad and nebulous category, but in general, can be thought of in three ways: as vehicles, as weapons, or as tools. Making skill checks with animal companions overwhelming falls on the shoulders of the Hunting skill. Ride a horse? Befriend a tiger? Unleash an attack falcon? All hunting. ''Animals as Vehicles: ''Horses are overwhelmingly the most common type of riding animal, though we are definitely not going to tell you that you ''can't ''ride a bull or a tiger. Riding animals follow the same rules as vehicles, more or less. Unless you're riding an elephant or a dolphin (which again, feel free to do), they're probably going ot be personal sized land vehicles with a +3 speed bonus. Horses and motorcycles are, for game purposes, largely interchangeable, with the difference of whether you make an Engineering or Hunting check to use them. ''Animals as Weapons: ''Attack animals can include attack dogs, hunting falcons, and trained vipers that leap out of your sleeves. Attack animals have two attributes: Offense and Damage, with three points to split between them. Making an attack animal concealable (such as a pet viper) or venomous (again, such as a pet viper) both cost one attribute point. When taking a venomous creature as an attack animal, select a poison effect from the Poisons table. ''Animals as Tools: ''Animals as tools is a very vague category, but essentially, any animal that has been trained to do something other than attack or be ridden is considered a tool. This would include tracking hounds, messenger birds, and so on. ''Multiple Function Animals: ''In some cases, an animal companion might serve multiple roles: in these cases, much a like a vehicle-mounted weapon, each function costs a seperate point of resources. For example a warhorse is trained for both riding and attacking would cost two points of resources, and a pet tiger trained.for riding, attacking, and tracking would cost three points of Resources.